10-13 It makes good sense that the God who got everything started and keeps everything going now completes the work by making the Salvation Pioneer perfect through suffering as he leads all these people to glory. Since the One who saves and those who are saved have a common origin, Jesus doesn’t hesitate to treat them as family, saying,

I’ll tell my good friends, my brothers and sisters, all I know
    about you;
I’ll join them in worship and praise to you.

Again, he puts himself in the same family circle when he says,

Even I live by placing my trust in God.

And yet again,

I’m here with the children God gave me.

14-15 Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it’s logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death.

16-18 It’s obvious, of course, that he didn’t go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. That’s why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.

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10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists,(A) should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.(B) 11 Both the one who makes people holy(C) and those who are made holy(D) are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[a](E) 12 He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the assembly I will sing your praises.”[b](F)

13 And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”[c](G)

And again he says,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”[d](H)

14 Since the children have flesh and blood,(I) he too shared in their humanity(J) so that by his death he might break the power(K) of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil(L) 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear(M) of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.(N) 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[e](O) fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful(P) and faithful high priest(Q) in service to God,(R) and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.(S) 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.(T)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 2:11 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 12; and in 3:1, 12; 10:19; 13:22.
  2. Hebrews 2:12 Psalm 22:22
  3. Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:17
  4. Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:18
  5. Hebrews 2:17 Or like his brothers